Flight retarder for airships



Dec. 6, 1938. F. WEIDMAN 2,38,949

FLIGHT RETARDER FOR AIRSHII S I Filed May 8, 1937' Jwvewibzw- I 22% m Patented Dec. 6, 1938 I1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 a 2,138,949 7 e FLIGHT ,RE'TARDER' iron Amsinrs Fred Weidman, Detroit, Mich. Application May:8,,193 7 Serial No. 141.462 6 Claims. (01. zit-11s) My invention relates to flight retarders or adapted to 'be drawn inwardly to the closed posibrakes for airships of the character described in tion by any suitable means such as cables 8 which the patent to John C. I-Iasbrouck, Junior, No. cross each other at 9 and pass over guide pulleys 1,274,037, issued July 30, 1918, inwhich pairs of i and thence forwardly to suitable manually brake elements have their rear edges hinged at operated levers, not shown. s15 opposite sides of the body or fuselage and their To'facilitate the closing or complete retraction front edges free to move outwardly to a position of the brake elements 5, there are provided upper normally flush with the sides of the body, the and lower openings l4 in the body which are said elements being provided with means for adapted to be closed by swinging vent valves l5 l0 manual movement by the operator so as to prohinged at their forward edges 16 to the body, duce various degrees of braking action upon the suitable spring'means being employed to assist in forward movement of the ship; the opening of the vent valves and cables or other In the patent above referred to, upper and means being provided whereby the said valves lower vent valves are also provided rearwardly may be closed by the operator. These manually of the braking elements whereby the air presoperated means are not herein shown since they :15 sure on said elements is relieved through top and are fully described in the patent above referred to. bottom openings in the fuselage. It is found, In one method of affording the additional relief, however, that further relief of the air pressure is which is the object of the present invention, there sometimes necessary, and it is the object of this is provided in each of the retarding elements 5 an 0 invention to provide a device, either automatiopening 5! which is normally closed by a series of 20 cally or manually operated, whereby such relief louvres or flaps 52, each of which is hinged at 53 is afforded. and provided with springs 54 which tend normally With this object in view, a preferred embodito maintain the said flaps in the closed position. ment of my said invention will now be described It will be understood that excessive pressure upon with reference to the accompanying drawing, in the inner faces of the elements 5 will tend to open 25 whichthe said flaps 52 to a greater or less degree against Figure 1 is a sectional plan view showing the the action of the spr b t n o e Cases I rear end of an airplane having my invention apmay provide a series of levers 55 shown in broken plied theret lines upon the flaps which are connected by a Figure 2 is a fragmentary side elevation of the cable 55, whereby they are simultaneously 30 same. opened by pulling on the said cable which passes Figure 3 is a sectional plan view of a brake reover a guide pulley 56 and forwardly to a point tarding element illustrating one method of reproximate the operator's seat.

lieving the air pressure from the same. In the modification shown in Figures 5 and 6, Figure 4 is a transverse section taken on line there is employed, instead of the flaps or louvres 35 4-4 of Figure 3. 52 a gate 51 slidably mounted in grooves 58 in the Figure 5 is a sectional plan view corresponding upper and lower edges of the opening 5|, the said to Figure 3 showing a modified form of relief degate being normally kept closed by means of a vice, and spring 59 and opened to the required degree by Figure 6 is a transverse section taken on line the cable 60 which passes over a guide pulley 6| 40 6-6 of Figure 5. and forwardly to a point within reach of the op- Like characters designate corresponding parts erator, as will be understood. throughout the several views. It will be observed from the foregoing descrip- Referring more particularly to Figures 1 to 4 of tion and by reference to the drawing that I have the drawing, A designates the flying machine body provided a device which is simple in construction 45 and 3 are adjustable elevating planes, while 4 and well adapted to the purpose intended, and indicates a rudder, the said planes and the rudder while I have herein described and shown prebeing operated in the manner well known in the ferred embodiments of my said invention, it will art. The numerals 5 designate a pair of drag be readily understood by those skilled in the art elements or fins disposed at opposite sides of the to which the same relates that various changes in 50 body with their rear edges 6 hinged to the body detail may be made to suit any particular or and their front edges free. Suitable spring means peculiar requirement without departing from the 1 operate on each of the drag elements 5 to swing spirit of my invention as defined in the appended the latter outwardly from a closed position flush claims. with the sides of the body. These elements are Having thus described my said invention, what 55 I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. An airship including a body, means for propelling and sustaining the same, brake elements arranged on opposite sides of the body with their rear edges hinged thereto and their front edges free to move outwardly from and inwardly to a position flush with the sides of the body, upper and lower vent openings located between said brake elements and adapted to be closed by flaps hinged to said body by their forward edges, and auxiliary vent means located within said brake elements.

2. An airship including a body, means for propelling and sustaining the same, brake elements arranged on opposite sides of the body with their rear edges hinged thereto and their front edges free to move outwardly from and inwardly to a. position flush with the sides of the body, upper and lower vent openings located between said brake elements and adapted to be closed by flaps hinged to said body by their forward edges, auxiliary vent 'means located within said brake elements, and means for opening and closing said auxiliary vent means.

3. An airship including a body, means for propelling and sustaining the same, brake elements arranged on opposite sides of the body with their rear edges hinged thereto and their front edges free to move outwardly from and inwardly to a position flush with the sides of the body, upper and lower vent openings located between said brake elements and adapted to be closed by flaps hinged to said body by their forward edges, auxiliary vent means located within said brake elements, and resilient means adapted to normally retain said auxiliary vent means in closed position.

4. An airship including a body, means for propelling and sustaining the same, brake elements arranged on opposite sides of the body with their rear edges hinged thereto and their front edges free to move outwardly from and inwardly to a position flush with the sides of the body, upper and lower vent openings for reducing the pressure on the brake elements, means for closing said vent openings, and auxiliary vent openings in said brake elements.

} 5. An airship including a body, means for propelling and sustaining the same, brake elements arranged on opposite sides of the body with their rear edges hinged thereto and their front edges free to move outwardly from and inwardly to a position flush with the sides of the body, upper and lower vent openings for reducing the pressure on the brake elements, means for closing said vent openings, auxiliary vent openings in said brake elements, and valve means for closing said last-named openings.

6. An airship including a body, means for pro pelling and sustaining the same, brake elements arranged on opposite sides of the body with their rear edges hinged thereto and their front edges free to move outwardly from and inwardly to a position flush with the sides of the body, upper and lower vent openings for reducing the pressure on the brake elements, means for closing said vent openings, auxiliary vent openings in said brake elements, valve means for closing said last-named openings, and resilient means adapted to normally retain said valve means in closed position.

FRED WEIDMAN. 

